An Unexpected Twist
by dkerr
Summary: Wat can I say? Willow did the spell.


You know the drill. The characters, except for Peter Abercrombie, belong to Whedon etc.

Peter Abercrombie felt bones jar as he slammed back into the wall, but not before his fist connected with the vampire's chest and the spring loaded release drove the stake into it's heart. He slid down to his knees, and was surprised to see a stake holding girl standing over him when the dust settled.

The girl seemed just as surprised, as she backed up, eyeing the wicked looking device strapped to his arm. "I, er, thought you needed help," he stammered. "I guess not."

"Thanks," Peter rolled to his feet. He used the stone wall to push the stake back inti it's harness, keeping an eye on the girl. Reddish hair, not much older than he was, She held that stake like she knew how to use it. "Slayer huh?"

"You know about Slayers?"

"Wasn't a figment of my imagination I just dusted," Peter grunted, slinging a backpack over his shoulder. "Yeah I know about Slayers." He looked the girl up and down. "Looks like you can fight." He glanced up at the moon. "Still not a good idea to be out alone at night."

"Why not," said another voice from behind him. "You were."

Peter whirled to see a taller raven haired Slayer leaning against the mausoleum.

"Gotta say, what you did to that vamp. Might impressive." Now, the girl pushed herself up to a standing position. Peter could see she was at ease, but still alert enough. "Mind saying why you were out here. All alone?"

"Going from that gate," Peter jerked a thumb up the path, "To that gate, he pointed down the path. Closer to home."

"Well, don't let us keep you.," She stood aside, "Shannon, maybe you could accompany him. You know, just in case he needs help."

Peter glanced behind him, as he turned into the motel where he was staying. The younger Slayer had accompanied him to the cemetery gate, all the while trying to pump him for information. Information that he wasn't yet ready to give. She had ostensibly left him at the gate, but he was sure that she had merely slipped into the shadows and was still accompanying him.

"Yo B," Faith said as he entered the kitchen the next morning. "Got us a new player in town. Not quite sure yet, but he may be one of the good guys."

Buffy raised an eyebrow, but listened while Faith briefly described the previous night's encounter.

"He never said what he was doing," she asked.

"Didn't seem to be the talkative type," Faith said as she popped bread into the toaster and grabbed some orange juice from the fridge.

"Did you ask?" Xander entered the kitchen and straddled a chair. "You did ask didn't you?"

"Thought about it," Faith grabbed her toasted at it pooped, and carried them over to the table. "Wasn't sure if we should do that before we put him in the hospital or afterwards."

"Hunh?"

"You did hear me tell about this wicked looking stake device thing he had up his right sleeve or was no sound coming out my mouth." Faith sipped her juice. "Way he was holding his left. Odds say he had something up that sleeve, and I wasn't anxious to find out what."

"So what did you do?"

"Told Shannon to go with him till they got to the gate, and followed after he left Names Peter Abercrombie and he's staying at the Shady Rest. Which ain't all that far from where we met him, so he could be up and up."

Buffy was going to add a caustic remark when she got interrupted by the bell.

"I'll get it," shouted Shannon from the hall. "Hey, what're you doing here?"

Buffy and Faith moved, to see Peter Abercrombie standing in the doorway, surrounded by a dozen children. Some barely more than toddlers, none older than five."

Peter singled Buffy out. "You Summers?"

"Yes and who the hell are you and what the hell do you think you're doing."

Peter grinned, and edged around the children to stand by the door. "I think I'm leaving."

"What," demanded Faith. "You can't just bring these brats here ..."

"Hey," cried Dawn, who had enterd behind everything. Everyone turned to see that she had picked up one of the toddlers, who had slipped away from the pack, and she was trying to pry a finger out of the girl's hands. "Tht hurts."

Faith's jaw dropped and she turned to face a grinning Peter.

"Yep, she's a Slayer. '

"They all are."


End file.
